Cicero Signs Agreement to Make Enhanced Medical Services Available in Emergencies

Cicero Town President Larry Dominick signed an agreement this week that grants access to Rush University Medical Center to make a specialized Mobile Stroke Unit available to assist in responding to stroke-related emergencies.

The contract with Rush University Medical Center, 1700 W. Van Buren Street, in Chicago, to make the Mobile Stroke Unit available to the town was approved by the Board of Trustees at its April 10 meeting.

“I am very happy that we are able to expand our emergency response ambulance teams to include the Mobile Stroke Unit which also includes professional medical staff to respond to strokes,” said Town President Larry Dominick.

“This specialized unit will assist our paramedics in responding to medical emergencies involving strokes. By bringing the Mobile Stroke Unit to the patient, we are saving much time and time is a critical factor in saving lives.”

Cicero Fire Commissioner Dominick Buscemi said that the Cicero ambulance teams respond quickly to emergency calls, but added that the issue is the time it takes to bring stroke patients to the hospital for treatment.

“Even though we can provide emergency assistance to sustain life and prevent death in many cases, individuals suffering from stroke have to be taken to the hospital for specialized treatment,” Buscemi said.

“By making the Mobile Stroke Unit available to the patients as they are being treated in their homes, or the location of their emergency, we are able to save a lot of time. And saving that time increases the likelihood that a stroke patient can survive the stroke.”

Rush is the recipient of a private grant to fund the Mobile Stroke Unit, which is owned and operated by Superior and outfitted with a Rush-owned physician clinic, including physician consultation via telemedicine, a CT Scanner, clinical laboratory and certain other medical technology necessary to provide mobile stroke diagnosis and treatment.

The Mobile Stroke Unit will be staffed and on emergency call every day, initially from 7 am to 7 pm, with plans to make the unit available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.